    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [November 11, 2004]
    [Pages 2961-2963]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Veterans Day Ceremony in Arlington, Virginia
    November 11, 2004

        Thank you for that warm welcome. Laura and I
    are honored to be here today. Mr. Secretary, thank you for your kind introduction, and thank you for
    your strong leadership in making sure our veterans have got the very
    best care possible. Secretary Principi has done a fantastic job for the
    American veteran.
        I thank the members of my Cabinet who have joined us today. I
    appreciate the Chiefs of Staff and other members of the United States
    military who have joined us. I want to thank all the veterans who are
    here today. I want to thank the representatives of veterans
    organizations. And I want to thank my fellow Americans.
        Veterans Day is set aside to remember every man and woman who has
    taken up arms to defend our country. We honor every soldier, sailor,
    airman, marine, and coastguardsman who gave some of the best years of
    their lives to the service of the United States and stood ready to give
    life, itself, on our behalf. Twenty-five million military veterans walk
    among us, and on this day, our Nation thanks them all.
        These are the hidden heroes of a peaceful nation, our colleagues and
    friends, neighbors and family members who answered the call and returned
    to live in the land they defended.
        Our veterans are drawn from several generations and many
    backgrounds. They're Americans who remember the swift conflict of the
    Persian Gulf war and a long cold war vigil, the heat of Vietnam and the
    bitter cold of Korea. They are veterans in their eighties who served
    under MacArthur and Eisenhower and saved the liberty of the world. And
    still with us in the year 2004 are a few dozen Americans who fought the
    Kaiser's army and celebrated the end of the Great War on this day in
    1918. The last doughboys are all more than 100 years old. Our Nation
    will always be proud of their service.

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        Some of our veterans are young men and women with recent memories of
    battle in mountains and in deserts. In Afghanistan, these brave
    Americans helped sweep away a vicious tyranny allied with terror and
    prepared the way for a free people to elect its own leaders. In Iraq,
    our men and women fought a ruthless enemy of America, setting the people
    free from a tyrant who now sits in a prison
    cell.
        All who have served in this cause are liberators in the best
    tradition of America. Their actions have made our Nation safer in a
    world full of new dangers. Their actions have also upheld the ideals of
    America's founding, which defines us still. Our Nation values freedom,
    not just for ourselves but for all. And because Americans are willing to
    serve and sacrifice for this cause, our Nation remains the greatest
    force for good among all the nations on the Earth.
        Some of tomorrow's veterans are in combat in Iraq at this hour. They
    have a clear mission, to defeat the terrorists and aid the rise of a
    free government that can defend itself. They are performing that mission
    with skill and with honor. They are making us proud. They are winning.
        Our men and women in the military have superb training and the best
    equipment and able commanders. And they have another great advantage:
    They have the example of American veterans who came before. From the
    very day George Washington took command, the uniform of the United
    States has always stood for courage and decency and shining hope in a
    world of darkness. And all who have worn that uniform have won the
    thanks of the American people.
        Today we're thinking of our fellow Americans last seen on duty,
    whose fate is still undetermined. We will not rest until we have made
    the fullest possible accounting for every life.
        Today we also recall the men and women who did not live to be called
    veterans, many of whom rest in these hills. Our veterans remember the
    faces and voices of fallen comrades. The families of the lost carry a
    burden of grief that time will lighten but never lift. Our whole Nation
    honors every patriot who placed duty and country before their own lives.
    They gave us every day that we live in freedom. The security of America
    depends on our active leadership in the world to oppose emerging threats
    and to spread freedom that leads to the peace we all want. And our
    leadership ultimately depends on the commitment and character of the
    Armed Forces.
        America has needed these qualities in every generation, and every
    generation has stepped forward to provide them. What veterans have given
    our country is beyond our power to fully repay, yet today we recognize
    our debt to their honor. And on this national holiday, our hearts are
    filled with respect and gratitude for the veterans of the United States
    of America.
        May God bless our veterans and their families, and may God continue
    to bless our great Nation. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:36 a.m. in the Amphitheater at Arlington
    National Cemetery. In his remarks, he referred to former President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The Veterans Day proclamation of November 9 is
    listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.

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